Gov't increasing effort to promote key policies

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government's plan to promote key
policies through newspaper and cinema ads is sparking disputes here as critics
slam the move as propaganda and part of the conservative administration's
authoritarianism.
Citing the "public's lack of understanding" on the government's controversial
media reforms, Vice Culture Minister Kim Dae-ki said Thursday the government will
publish "accurate advertisements" in major newspapers, spending some 600 million
won (US$465,000).
Media reform has been a source of heated dispute here as media unionists and
progressive civic groups oppose the plan under which large firms and major
newspapers would be allowed to own television networks. The current law prohibits
cross-ownership of print media and television stations to prevent monopolization
of the media industry.
"People don't know what the reforms are really about. The ongoing disputes are
doing nothing but confusing them," Kim said in a news briefing Thursday. "There
are many misunderstandings that must be solved. We will correct the
misunderstandings in the ads."
President Lee Myung-bak's party and the liberal main opposition party have been
sharply divided over the issue of lifting the cross-ownership ban, escalating
tension ahead of the slated opening of the National Assembly's plenary session
Friday.
Kim's remark comes a day after the culture ministry announced its plan to screen
minute-long advertisements about controversial multi-billion-dollar projects to
refurbish four major rivers in 52 movie theaters nationwide.
Thousands of Internet users in South Korea's progressive Web portals have been
campaigning to halt the government move since Wednesday, saying it is
authoritarian to force moviegoers to watch the advertisement. Such
government-produced advertisements in cinemas were last seen in South Korea in
1994.
President Lee, a former CEO and strong believer in market principles, has been
seeking to amend several generally distribution-centered policies pushed by his
predecessors since his inauguration in February last year.
He believes in spurring competition to create more jobs and bolster sectors he
believes are falling behind global trends.
Dissenters call the plans "pro-conglomerate," as Lee has been facing fresh
criticism after the May 23 death of his immediate predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, who
was under a corruption investigation that the majority of South Koreans say was
too harsh.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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